Associated Press – September 11, 2009 11:05 PM ET

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has barely been in office a month, but he’s not wasting any time charting a more conservative course than his predecessor on the very issues Jon Huntsman used to vault to national prominence within the GOP and an ambassadorship to China.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Herbert says he is skeptical of how much humans affect global warming; that he fears protecting gay people from discrimination could lead to courts legalizing gay marriage; and that he has no desire to do any more to bring Utah’s liquor laws in line with much of the country.

It is a big shift from Huntsman, who was the most popular governor in state history, but had a habit of angering the conservatives that dominate state party politics.

Well, there you have it Utah.  Enjoy being dropped back into the 1950s.  And watch out, other minorities – if there’s a way you can be next, you will be.

So much for “States Rights” and believing in local municipalities ability to blah blah blah – I can’t even write it anymore.   It’s such a pile of horse crap.

There.  This guy said it:  If gays get protection on the job, he’s afraid it will lead to gay marriage.

Sorry, regular gay guy who wants to live a regular gay life and not have to hide your gayness.  You can’t even flip a burger and be gay without fear of being fired.   Because the governor is a’scared of you.  The lousiest straight employee has better protection in a Utah workplace than the most qualified homosexual on the job.

Hey, Hollywood, are you listening?  You gonna  film a movie there and know some of your employees are surrounded by intolerance and scorn?  Gonna slip on some skis and have cocoa with people that would probably burn the cup you drink out of because they’re afraid of catching what you have?  And are you still going to have your annual party of cool, independent thinking in a state that wants to shove you back in the closet and hates you?

You gonna bring Sundance there, when there’s so many other cities in so many other states that would welcome the prestige, the money and the spotlight?  Cities and states that – even if they don’t back gay marriage – would at least be willing to protect your individual human rights?

Reasonable people – even if I disagree with them on other issues – should be able to say “You can’t fire a person for being gay.”  And if a governor of a state can’t say that, and if Hollywood truly stands with their gay friends in this issue  then Hollywood should be standing outside the state lines of Utah.

Boycott.